The predictive technology of ProModel allows you to design-in success, increase capacity, decrease costs, reduce cycle time, and test alternatives in a risk-free environment before committing capital and resources. What could be more valuable?

Quickly and easily simulate Microsoft Office Visio® flowcharts, Value
Stream Maps and workflow diagrams. Process Simulator installs as a add-in to Visio, allowing you to
seamlessly create and run simulation models inside Visio.
It is a simple, predictive, productivity improvement
tool that has the potential to change your future.

1

Create
a new flowchart model or add simulation properties
to an existing flowchart directly in Visio.

2

Press
play and watch your model run with realistic animation.

3

View
dynamic model output metrics and run "What-Ifs"
in Visio.

Whether
you are looking to minimize costs, increase throughput,
improve productivity, manage inventory or meet customer
demand, Process Simulator provides a cost effective,
high value solution to achieve your objectives. Customers
using Process Simulator today include Pfizer, ITT,
General Dynamics, GE Healthcare, Praxair, Cummins, Pacific
Life, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and many
other customers and institutions around the world.

Process Simulator is available today in a no-risk, "Free"
edition for your organization to evaluate.

Solutions

LEAN and Value Stream Mapping

Capture Value Stream Maps in Visio and see what performance gains you can expect before implementing actual changes. Simulate current and future state scenarios to understand which LEAN project will give the biggest benefit.

Six Sigma Initiatives

Enhance the effectiveness of Analyze and Improve steps of the DMAIC Methodology. Experiment to ANALYZE how the system responds within the model and develop a total continuous IMPROVEMENT strategy in a dynamic, risk-free environment.

What's New?

What's New in Process Simulator 2014 SP1

In this Service Pack, we’re not only including fixes but new features for both the Standard and Professional editions of Process Simulator 2014. Free Form logic in the Professional edition gets even more power and simplicity with the introduction of Intellisense and Syntax Guide. The Standard edition inherits User Distributions and Initialization logic introduced in the original release of Professional.

(New in Professional edition)

Intellisense

Free Form logic now has an intelligent list of all logic elements that pops up as you define your logic so you can quickly write it. Awesome, right? ☺ This list of elements appears as you type and includes all the statements, functions, activities, entities, resources, variables, attributes, arrays, distributions, etc…basically everything you need to write logic. And the beautiful thing is, you don't have to remember exact names. As you start typing, the list filters to any element containing those characters and highlights the element name that begins with the characters you typed. If the highlighted element is the one you want, select tab, space, or enter and that name will be committed to your logic. Fast and easy!

Syntax
Guide

After a statement or function is added to your Free Form logic, a tooltip will appear displaying the syntax for the statement or function with all its possible options. No need to remember what is required or take time to look it up in Help; the Syntax Guide will appear and show you. This saves you time and keeps you focused on completing your logic.

Statements
Pane

Can't remember what the possible statements are when writing logic? We've got you covered. Free Form logic now has a Statements Pane you can toggle on and off to show you all the possibilities. Hover over a statement listed in the pane and a quick help tooltip appears describing the statement. Double-click on a statement and it will be added to your logic. Yeah, it's that easy.

Flexible
Routing

Route to any activity with a single routing connection! Each
entity that enters an activity can specify a unique destination it will route
to. Simply store an activity’s index number in an entity attribute, array or
variable and, as the entity leaves, it will route to the destination specified.

(Now available in Standard edition)

User
Distributions

Occasionally, none of the built-in distributions in Process
Simulator can adequately represent a data set. In such cases, the user may define a User Distribution to represent this
empirically established data set.

Initialization/Termination Logic

Execute logic at the beginning or end of a simulation to do
things such as initializing arrays and activating subroutines or finalizing
calculations for custom reports. This logic is accessed from the Simulation
Properties window.

Statements and Functions

Activate and Animate statements are
now available in the Logic Builder, in addition to the Calendar functions
introduced in the original release of the Professional edition.

(New in all editions)

Getting Started Panel

With the
new Getting Started panel, you have immediate access to demo models, a quick start
video, training resources, online help, the ProModel Support team, and a whole
host of How To videos. It’s easy to find since it will be the first thing you
see when you start up the application.

What's New in Process Simulator Professional 2014

The Professional edition of Process Simulator 2014 is a new
edition for advanced users of Process Simulator. It has all the capabilities of
the Standard edition plus the new features introduced with this release. Process
Simulator Professional provides you with the power, flexibility, and freedom to
rapidly build highly effective models so you can make better decisions, faster.

Power

Arrays

Arrays allow you to store large amounts of data in a single
data structure for your model to access and use during simulation. They are
used just like variables but rather than defining a variable for every data
value you want to keep track of (which could be hundreds of variables), you
define a single array to hold hundreds of data values. See our how to video on Arrays.

Import/Export
Data via Excel

The quickest and most convenient way to populate your Arrays
with data values is by importing data from Excel. Not only does it
make it easy, but because most people use Excel it makes it simple to manage
and modify the data directly in Excel. If you manipulate the array values
during simulation, then you may want to export the data to Excel for data validation
and analysis after simulation.

User
Distributions

Occasionally, none of the built-in distributions in Process
Simulator can adequately represent a data set. In such cases, the user may define a User Distribution to represent this
empirically established data set.

Flexibility

Advanced Subroutines

We have extended our subroutine capability in the
Professional edition to allow the passing of parameters and the return of
calculated values. This enables the leveraging of arrays and execution of
parallel process activities.

Complex Expressions

In
Professional, you can get complex
expressions in property
fields by calling a subroutine (where complex calculations and logic can be
executed) and returning a single value to the property.

Initialization/Termination Logic

Execute logic at the beginning or end of a simulation to do things
such as initializing arrays and activating subroutines or finalizing
calculations for custom reports. This logic is accessed from the Simulation
Properties window.

Freedom

Free
Form Logic

When you’re ready to go beyond the guided, dialog-building method
of logic creation, then you’ll love the freedom and flexibility that Free Form logic gives you. Not only can you
simply type your logic freely, but the Free Form logic window can remain open
as you click from one activity to another. This window doesn’t have the same
restriction as the Builder logic window.

Solution
and How To Videos

We have organized and brought together all
the Solution and How To videos our Support team has created on YouTube into one
convenient location.
Check them out!

What's New in Process Simulator 2014 (Fall 2013)

Visio 2013 Integration

Process Simulator now integrates with Visio 2013 (32-bit). A few of the new features introduced by Visio 2013 that Process Simulator supports are:

Change Shape- this new capability in Visio allows you to replace any shape already in your diagrams. You no longer need to disconnect the connections, delete the shape, add a new shape, and then reconnect the connections (besides the fact you lose all your simulation properties). Simply select the shape you want to change and then select a new shape from the Change Shape drop down in the Ribbon. All of your simulation properties (duration, shift, logic, etc.) for that shape will be automatically transferred to the new shape.

Office File Format - Visio also implemented the Office compressed file format standard (VSDX). This keeps your files small in size and allows for version history tracking when stored in SharePoint. Process Simulator supports this new format as well as the old VDX and VSD formats.

Percentage Routes in Scenarios

Want to quickly see the impact of changing the percentages at a decision based routing in your process? Simply add the percentage routes as a parameter in Scenario Manger, change their values, and simulate the new scenario. It’s that easy.

Attach by Attribute and Time Limit

We’ve added several new capabilities to the Attach route to make your modeling of assembly, loading, and joining activities easier:

Attach by Attribute Value- reduce your attach connections and entity types by attaching entities based upon their attribute values.

Attach with Time Limit- specify how much time to give the attaching entities before the base entity takes whatever it has and moves on.

Attach Before/After Activity – decide whether the attach action occurs before the base entity has executed its logic or after.

Batch by Attribute

For a Buffer activity, batch your entities based upon the attribute value of each entity. This helps reduce the number of entities defined in your model. For example, if you have a process that has many different parts with unique part numbers and need to batch them for processing. Assign the part number to an attribute and batch by attribute value. One entity, one attribute, very simple.

Default Activity and Move Times

When adding new activities or routing connections to your diagram, they are given default duration and move times. These default times can now be changed to values you prefer for your models. Don't want to have a default move time? Set the default time to be blank. These defaults also apply when converting pre-existing diagrams to simulation models.

<Activity Time> Statement

We’ve included this new control statement to Activity Logic, which allows you to designate when the Activity time defined in the properties window is executed. By default, the Activity time occurs after the Activity Logic is completed. Now, placing the <Activity Time> statement within your logic gives you control of when it actually takes place.

New Tutorial Video

The Process Simulator Standard Tutorial has been revamped and now has several video segments for you to follow along with. Check it out online

Enhancements

New options for Tables in Output Viewer allow you to change the font and font size, bold the column headers, and center justify the columns of data.

Run a specific replication of your model by placing the "" symbol in front of your replication number defined in the Simulation Properties (e.g. "5").

Serial Numbers can be entered during installation and are displayed in the About dialog for easy access and quick reference when calling Technical Support.

Macros can be used in Percentage routes.

What's New in Process Simulator 2011 SP4

Upload to ProModel Enterprise
ProModel Enterprise is our new cloud-based enterprise application. Upload Process Simulator models and then create and run scenarios in ProModel Enterprise. Scenarios are run simultaneously while the results from all models can be compared and analyzed in one central location in Reports. Easily create report dashboards specific to your business KPIs and share them with others. There is nothing to install as ProModel Enterprise is accessed from anywhere through an internet browser. It can be hosted on premise or in the cloud and serves as a single unifying environment for predictive analytic collaboration across the organization.

Control submodel layout at simulation
Previously Process Simulator automatically calculated how many submodels should be placed within a row on the layout. You can now control this by either specifying a boundary up to which submodels can be placed or specifying the number of submodels that can be contained per row.

Flexibility in Attach quantities
We've added the ability to enter an attribute for the quantity in an Attach connection. This simplifies the modeling of processes where attach quantities vary from entity to entity.

Improvement in resource requirements analysis
We now allow the number of units specified in a Use request to exceed the total number of units defined for a given resource. This allows you to create scenarios with fewer resources than a task or activity requires, thus effectively extending the overall time a task takes to complete. Compare these with other scenarios of varying resource quantities and analyze the effect on the overall process initiatives.

Compatible with Windows 8
This release has been tested and verified to install and run on the Microsoft Windows 8 operating system.

What's New in Process Simulator 2011 SP2

·
Resource Shift
Carryover extended to Use statement
– this powerful capability, introduced in
the SP1 release, has been expanded to include resources captured with a USE
statement. It enables you to carryover work started by a resource on one shift
and continue it with another unit on the next shift.
For example, hospitals operating 24 hours a day can transfer patient care from
one shift to the next.

·
Output report
views and results copied with new model
– when saving an existing model as a
different name, if that model also has saved Output Viewer report views, you
will be prompted and given the choice to copy the saved report views and any results
files with the new model name.

·
Charts linked in
Output Viewer report views
– charts are now automatically linked together if
they exist in the same report tab. This means that when you add or remove a
scenario from one chart, all other charts will have that scenario added or
removed as well. Other Filter Options can also be linked and, if desired,
charts can be unlinked so that changes only apply to the selected chart.

·
Output Viewer
Items sorted in original model order
– Filter Options now show all elements in
the Items list in the order they appear in the model tables. This is now the
default Item sort, however, the list can also be
sorted alphabetically.

·
Move a chart
and create a new Report
– if you want to move an existing chart
into its own new Report tab, simply drag the chart up to the plus "+" tab and
drop it there. A new Report tab will automatically be created with your chart
in the view.

·How-To modeling solutions
– learning
how to use Process Simulator requires more than just becoming familiar with the
product features and menus. It also requires an understanding of how to use the
features to correctly create representative models of actual business
processes. The how-to solutions, now included
in the documentation, help you learn the techniques to model situations you are
likely to encounter when doing a simulation study.

·External Arrival files now support the .xlsm and .xlsb Excel file
formats.

·Container objects in Visio are now
supported as simulation objects.

·Simulations can now be run to the year
2100.

·Entity initial cost allows use of
distributions.

·Copying rows in a table supports
non-contiguous row selection.

What's New in Process Simulator 2011

With Process Simulator 2011 you are able to more easily visualize and analyze simulation results using the new Output Viewer, quickly experiment and compare model changes with independent scenarios, and simplify model building with advanced modeling constructs. Process Simulator 2011 is compatible with Microsoft Visio 2010, 2007, and 2003.

With Process Simulator 2011 SP1, you are able to easily model multi-shift facilities using the new resource shift carryover capability. You can also gain more insight into your model results with the new Output Viewer time series charts.

Features

Resource Shift Carryover
This powerful new capability allows you to carryover work started by a resource on one shift and continue it with another unit of that resource on the next. For example, manufacturing facilities that have extended task times or complex processes spanning multiple shifts or days can easily pass work from the first to the second shift. Hospitals operating 24 hours a day can transfer patient care from one shift to the next. Shift carryover works whether it's one resource or multiple resources performing a task. Each resource will independently be interrupted to go off shift and allow resources on the next shift to resume the work. Along with this new capability, you can now assign unique calendars to specific resource units.

New Output Viewer Time Series Charts
The following are new and modified time series charts:

Activity Utilization – this new chart displays utilization of activities, as a percentage of contents versus overall capacity, over the course of the simulation run.

Resource Usage – this new chart shows how many resources were used and when over the course of the simulation. Add a capacity line to the chart and compare the actual usage against the maximum potential resource usage.

Activity State – this upgraded chart now includes the averaging of activity states across replications. It is displayed as a 100% stacked column Gantt chart over time.

Output Viewer

Originally released with ProModel 2010, the new Output Viewer has been developed in the latest Microsoft WPF technology. It simplifies the creation of views, provides quicker and more open access for modifying charts and tables, and allows for analysis and comparison of multiple output data sources. The user interface follows the Microsoft fluent UI standard and uses a ribbon for providing access to all the reporting functionality.

Specifically for the Process Simulator 2011 release, we have added the following new capability to Output Viewer:

Sort Column, Utilization, and State Charts - sort your chart data based on highest or lowest values. State charts will even let you choose which state should be sorted.

Export Time Series Data - similar to exporting Summary data, you are able to export any of your time series results from any scenario to Excel.

Change Chart Type -you are able to change the chart style from bar to line, from line to area, from pie to doughnut, etc. Choose from several different chart style options.

Independent Scenarios

Coupled with the capability introduced in the new Output Viewer, you can run new scenarios independently of each other and compare their results side by side with previously simulated scenarios.

Macros

If you have a distribution that is used in multiple places throughout your model, use a macro and then if you need to change that distribution, modify it one place! Macros can be used in almost any place in your model like activity logic, routing move time, arrival frequency, etc. You can also add them as parameters to be utilized in your scenario analysis.

Subroutines

If you find yourself writing the same logic in multiple activities throughout your model, put that logic in a subroutine. Then, simply call the subroutine from multiple logic locations. Not only will you reduce the amount of time writing logic, but when you want to make a change, you'll only need to make it in one place.

External Arrivals

Define multiple Periodic arrivals in an Excel worksheet and have them automatically initialized in your model when the simulation runs. You can also set the arriving entity's initial attribute values for things like part numbers, acuity levels, job numbers, etc.

Online Help System - gives you access to the latest documentation…all the time.

Enhancements

We Have Also Added the Following Enhancements in the 2011 SP1 Release:

Data Grouping Interval for Statistic series – when viewing the raw data for time series charts, you can now set the grouping interval if Statistic series are added to the chart.

Pooling time series statistics – Time Plot charts now have a pooling option that allows you to combine the values of the Items selected and display their joint average in the chart. Series for Statistics are also automatically pooled for all items selected and show as one joint Statistic, if the chart type has been set to stacked.

Macro availability – Macros can now be used in IF statements, Conditional and Detach routings, and Pattern arrivals.

Process Simulator Editions - Feature Comparison

Free

Standard

Pro

Plug-in
to Microsoft Visio

ProModel
Simulation Engine

Share
Models with ProModel and MedModel

Multi-Scenario
Comparative Output Viewer

Animation

Convert
Existing Visio Diagrams to a Model

User-Defined
Distributions

Basic
Logic Builder

*

Storage
and Supermarket Modeling

Hierarchical
Modeling with Sub-Processes

Resource
Pool Definition

Custom
Results Analysis with Excel

Six
Sigma Analysis with Minitab

Model
changes in Excel

Basic
Subroutine Functionality

Utilizes
power of Visio Data Graphics

Initialize
Arrivals from Excel

2-Dimensional
Arrays

Import/Export
Data via Excel

Advanced
Logic Builder

Advanced
Subroutine Functionality

Complex
Expressions in Property Fields

Free
Form Logic

Intellisense
for Fast Logic Creation

Syntax
Guide for Quick Logic Help

Multi-Destination
Flexible Routing

* Subset of statements and functions

Awards

ProModel Listed Among Top Finalists for the 2012 Microsoft Visio Partner of the Year AwardLeader in predictive analytic solutions qualifies with Process Simulator application for fourth consecutive year. Click here to read the press release